We all have that one sports bra. The one you’ve had since high school, full of holes with no elastic left. While it’s supported you through the years, over time, it’s lost its ability. But like an old boyfriend, you keep it around because it’s comfortable.

Sports bras are supposed to be your boobs’ best friend, but an ill-fitting one can turn into their worst enemy. Too small, and it will smash and suffocate while on and be nearly impossible to take off. Too big and it won’t do anything for you at all. Either way, you’re setting yourself up for an uncomfortable workout that may even do damage to your body.

According to Renelle Braaten, founder and president of ENELL, who creates state-of-the-art, high-quality performance sports bras for women C cup or above, “An ill-fitting or unsupportive sports bra, especially while engaging in sports or strenuous activity, can cause premature sagging of the breasts and stress on your back muscles,” she told DietsInReview.com. She explained that this can cause breast, back, shoulder, and arm pain. “It can also cause headaches, indentation, scarring, chafing and/or improper posture.”

It’s such a problem, in fact, that many women cut their workouts short or skip them entirely. This isn’t news to ladies, however, as we have been coming up with our own ways to deal with poorly fitted sports bras over the years. Some girls wear regular bras under their sports bras to get the support and coverage they need, while some double up on two sports bras in an attempt to stop bouncing and avoid blacking out their eyes. Read Full Post >

Hot dogs, burgers, ice cream…summer parties can wreak havoc with your waistline. We’ve got five summer party themes that let you kick back and enjoy yourself instead of counting calories.

FIESTA

Think more salsa, less queso. Mexican food comes from fresh ingredients and simple preparations. There are a lot of healthy Mexican dishes such as ceviche, a taco salad, and fajitas with whole wheat wraps. There are only 146 calories in a Corona, so you can even enjoy a little beer.

Last summer I spent a month in Savannah, Georgia, a true American gem that should be on your must-visit list. Aside from soaking up all the history, playing at the beach, and hitting up all the Forrest Gump tourist spots, one of the highlights was attenidng the fifth annual Fitbloggin’ conference.

If you’ve never been, mark your calendars for the last weekend in Denver this year. It’s a life changing three days with an inspiring, motivating, beautiful group of about 250 souls. No matter what your place is in within the weight loss blogging/social media sphere, there is a place for you within Fitbloggin’. And as last year proved, no matter how hot and sweaty you get — be it during one of the morning Zumba classes or out wandering Savannah’s scenic historic district — everyone still has plenty of love for ‘ya.

On the last day of the conference, it was time to cool off and get even more scenic, with a drive out to Georgia’s Tybee Island. I didn’t go alone. My husband and daughter tagged along with myself, Emmie from AuthenticallyEmmie.com, and Alan from SweatingUntilHappy.com. After a whirlwind three days inside a hotel getting all of the hugs, blog lessons, and free California Almond trail mix snacks we could handle, sinking our toes in the sand and letting the sea breeze wash over our faces was the decompress everyone needed!

And frozen lemonades, we needed those to fully complete the post-conference decompression slash Georgia heat exhaustion. After we dusted most of the sand from our bodies, we headed to a highly recommended local dive – AJ’s Dockside Restaurant. We sat outside, because we clearly love sweating as much as possible. We ordered po’boys, because when in Rome. And we ordered frozen lemonades. Read Full Post >

Using only a chair, do 1-3 sets of each of these four simple sculpt moves 3-5 times a week. Put them all together for a total body workout or perform one exercise every time you take a break from sitting.

Glute Bridge: Works core and glutes

Lie on your back in front of your chair. Place your heels on the seat of the chair so that your knees are bent comfortably. Slowly raise your butt and back off the floor, keeping your shoulder blades press firmly downward. Hold a moment at the top of the movement and lower down one vertebra at a time. Do 8-15 reps per set.

Chair Plank:Works core, shoulders, arms, glutes

Kneel down in front of your chair and place your elbows on the seat. Lift your knees up off the floor and extend your leg so your body is in plank position diagonal to the floor. Pull your abs inward and don’t allow your back to sag. Hold 10-30 slow counts.

Chair Squat: Works glutes and thighs

Stand tall about a foot in front of your chair facing away from it, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees to sit back and down. As soon as you feel your butt lightly touch the seat of the chair, stand back up to the start. As you lower, your knees should track over your toes. When you stand back up keep your knees “soft.” Do 8-15 reps per set.

Chair Dip: Works chest, shoulders, triceps, core

Sit on the edge of the chair with a hand firmly gripping each side of the seat. Either bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor or straighten your legs and lift your toes up off the floor. With your arms straight, slide your butt off the chair. Bend your elbows to lower your torso towards the floor. When your upper arms are parallel to the floor, press back up the start. Do 8-15 reps per set.

Cherries! They are so enticing and delicious and great for dessert! You can easily create a dish with little or no added sugar — just as we’ve done in this simple cherry tart. Your loved ones will think you’re a kitchen goddess.

The cherries really sing here. One word of advice, prep the cherriesbefore diving into the rest of the recipe because they do take a while.

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